134 TENANT,"^ OF AN OLD FARM. 



will not attempt to decide. "We arc verging upon the 

 deep and somewhat strange waters of animal meta- 

 physics, and perhaps had hotter not venture further." 



''At all events," said the Doctor, with some warmth, 

 as though he were heating down an old adversary in his 

 own thought, "I will never again say that a spider 

 doesn't think I Here certainly is an order of mcntalism 

 which seems to difTer from human thinking more in 

 degree than in kind." 



In the meantime I plied the spade carefully, until at 

 last the bottom of the tube was reached. 



*■' There she is !" cried the Doctor, who keenly watched 

 the digging. 



A brown head emerged from a mass of dust-covered 

 cotton, followed by the legs and body of a large spider. 

 The body was an inch in length, but the eight long, ex- 

 panded legs gave one the impression of greater size. 

 The specimen w^as a female of a velvety brown color, 

 marked with light gray along the back. 



" Yes, there she is," I responded; "this is one of 

 my troglodytes ; and now you have seen for yourself 

 that this pretty nest in my box was really made by a 

 spider." 



" It is certainly true, although it passes all my notions 

 of spider-craft. What is the use of this cave-nest ?" 



"I cannot answer very confidently. The deep bur- 

 row is at least a winter home, and. no doubt, a good 

 one, since the temperature within it is much higher 

 than at the surface. Moreover, it afTords protection 

 against many enemies, from wlu.m the animal finds 



